They can easily find out where I WAS, I don't even try to hide it. Where I will be when I go dark, on the other hand, is hundreds of miles away from there.
Communications Plan
- Thread starter Captjim_NM
- Start date
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DH the thinking mans prepper. wish there were more like you and Maverick.
Guys, I am ignorant of all this, but, your enthusiasm is contagious. Keep up the good work. I can definitely stand to pick up what your putting down.
Captjim_NM
Active Member
Talk about portable operation, here is a photo of my picnic table HF station. The radio, antenna and coax fit in a small backpack and the battery is in a lunchbox. I use a 20 meter dipole and plan to add a 15 meter dipole soon. I also have a solar panel to keep the batteries charged.
Covert, I like it very much, grey man ready.
EricB1970
Active Member
That's exactly my way of thinking as well. And that's why I'm not too worried about having my info out there right now.
Captjim_NM
Active Member
In another thread Bill Masen brought up a good point about OPSEC. A lone wolf, backpack person will be best suited with a VHF/UHF HT. When you transition to a truck, you have the capacity to carry more gear, mount antennas and bingo, you have 12V power! A month after SHTF, a van or truck may only be good for shelter from the rain. Few people have the luxury of a command base or compound. Mobility will be key to survival, both from the stand point of finding food or security. Every person's situation will be different. The first step in anyone's plan should be to find a safe place to go. The next step is how are you going to get you and your gear to that location. Me, I am almost 66, my days of Rambo are over and I plan to stay right here in a Ghost town.
When I was a boy soldier and was on a long exercise , I was part of the Squadron Comms unit in an FFR vehicle. All went well until we got complacent and returned to the same wooded spot when fresh running water 3 times in 2 weeks. On our third visit the opforces were waiting for us , and we got a good kicking for our stupidity. Keep changing broadcast locations and dont get into a regular routine because SOMEONE will notice.
poltiregist
A True Doomsday Prepper
I have two ways to communicate after SHTF . I have a short wave radio that I can hook to a wire that I have strung up in the air . With it I can pick up transmissions by the communications bouncing off the upper atmosphere . With it I can pick up transmissions around the entire planet , including what I believe is China . I may not understand the languages they are speaking in but hearing them I can . Even if the satellites are shot down in a war or cell towers are down , I am still able to receive by this method . This does not give me the ability to transmit but only to receive . ---- Method number two - Honestly I thought I was buying a ham base station but this radio I now believe is a CB base station . This is attached to an antenna situated on a mountain cliff . Though I don't understand it , it picks up " on a regular bases " all over the United States , such as truckers and their base station as well as hobbyists . I am in mid U.S. and pick up traffic in California , Florida and all the way up toward Canada . I know Ham radio 's are the big thing with preppers but my CB system is able to transmit and receive to a vastly larger group of radio owners . --- I have a solar set up that I could operate either system on . --- I am not that radio knowledgeable so am not saying this is the best system , only that it is my system .
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Arcticdude
Top Poster
Does a CB with SSB get more range that a standard 40 ch CB?
“In the US and Canada, and in the EU and the UK, transmitter power is limited to 4 watts when using AM and FM and 12 W PEP when using SSB.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_band_radioSo SSB will have better range but usually not 3x the range as the power increase might suggest. To increase range with power, it takes lots of power. Lots more. That means lots more money. The antenna is where the smart money finds the range improvements.
Also, FM modulation is not legal on CB in the US but is fine in Europe I believe.
dicko62
Member
I have a Barret 550 HF radio and a electrophone 80 channel UHF radio.
Wrongo boyoh! Approved for use in the US 2 years ago.
https://www.walcottradio.com/fm-cb-radios-c-377_502_659.html
"So SSB will have better range but usually not 3x the range as the power increase might suggest."
Let me break it down:
Every time your transmitter power is doubled (4 watts to 8 watts) you get a net gain of 3db. It takes 6 db to see an increase of one "S" unit at the receiving end. So you would have to go from four watts to sixteen watts to gain one "S" unit. 64 watts for a 2 "S" unit gain, 256 watts for a 3 "S" unit gain. HAAT of antenna also affects how others hear you as well as actual db gain of the antenna.
Let me break it down:
Every time your transmitter power is doubled (4 watts to 8 watts) you get a net gain of 3db. It takes 6 db to see an increase of one "S" unit at the receiving end. So you would have to go from four watts to sixteen watts to gain one "S" unit. 64 watts for a 2 "S" unit gain, 256 watts for a 3 "S" unit gain. HAAT of antenna also affects how others hear you as well as actual db gain of the antenna.
We’ll that’s cool, I didn’t know that. I’ll tune over to the 11 meter band and check all the FM traffic this evening
Robert Stewart
Member
Tecsun s2000 shortwave radio connected to loop antenna although looking at potentially stringing up an updated long wire later this year or earlier next year this enable me to listen to shortwave and local AM stations
Long distance communication a President McKinley AM/SSB CB with a station master antenna attached to my car shelter
Local communications a GME xrs in both 4x4 and house with ICOM, GME and Uniden handhelds
Long distance communication a President McKinley AM/SSB CB with a station master antenna attached to my car shelter
Local communications a GME xrs in both 4x4 and house with ICOM, GME and Uniden handhelds
poltiregist
A True Doomsday Prepper
I have a similar shortwave system here . This allows listening all around the globe . --- I also have a CB system , which I have never spoken on and probably never will , as I have no visions of grandeur and saving the world by speaking through the airways and offering the unprepared assistance . I can see the advantage of knowing what is going on outside my area but my plan is to simply hunker down and close contact to the outside world .
I didn't know this, either. Thanks for posting.
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